Alexandru Damoc - 411 G 12/14/2013

Organic Light Emitting Diodes

-OLED-


Organic materials are an important new type of semiconductors. They combine the virtues of
plastics, which can be easily shaped, with those of semiconductors which are the basis of all
microelectronics. These new materials can be used to make lightweight flexible optoelectronic devices
such as displays, solar cells and lasers.
What is an OLED?
Like a LED, an OLED is a solid-state semiconductor device that is 100 to 500 nanometers thick or
about 200 times smaller than a human hair. OLEDs can have either two layers or three layers of organic
material; in the latter design, the third layer helps transport electrons from the cathode to the emissive
layer. Because the material itself is emitting colored light (and not filtering out white light to give the
appearance of color, as is the case with LCDs) the displays appear vibrant, rich, detailed and have excellent
viewing angle.
Architecture of OLEDs
- Substrate - clear plastic, glass, foil (it supports the OLED)
- Anode (transparent) it removes electrons (adds electron holes) when a current flows through
the device
- Organic Layers made of organic molecules or polymers
- Conducting Layer made of organic molecules that transport the holes from the anode
- Emissive Layer made of organic molecules (different ones from the conducting layer) that
transport electrons from the cathode; this is where the light is made
- Cathode it injects electrons when a current flows through the device



















Alexandru Damoc - 411 G 12/14/2013



Types of OLEDs
Passive-matrix OLED (PMOLED)
PMOLEDs have strips of cathode, organic layers and strips of anode. The anode strips are arranged
perpendicular to the cathode strips. The intersections of the cathode and anode make up the pixels where
light is emitted. External circuitry applies current to selected strips of anode and cathode, determining
which pixels get turned on and which pixels remain off. Again, the brightness of each pixel is proportional
to the amount of applied current.
Active-matrix OLED (AMOLED)
AMOLEDs have full layers of cathode, organic molecules and anode, but the anode layer overlays a
thin ilm transistor (TFT) array that forms a matrix. The TFT array itself is the circuitry that determines which
pixels get turned on to form an image.
Transparent OLED
Transparent OLEDs have only transparent components (substrate, cathode and anode) and, when
turned off, are up to 85 percent as transparent as their substrate. When a transparent OLED display is
turned on, it allows light to pass in both directions. A transparent OLED display can be either active- or
passive-matrix. This technology can be used for heads-up displays.
Top-emitting OLED
Top-emitting OLEDs have a substrate that is either opaque or reflective. They are best suited to
active-matrix design.
Foldable OLED
Foldable OLEDs have substrates made of very flexible metallic foils or plastics. Foldable OLEDs are
very lightweight and durable. Their use in devices such as cell phones and PDAs can reduce breakage, a
major cause for return or repair. Potentially, foldable OLED displays can be attached to fabrics to create
"smart" clothing, such as outdoor survival clothing with an integrated computer chip, cell phone, GPS
receiver and OLED display sewn into it.
White OLED
White OLEDs emit white light that is brighter, more uniform and more energy efficient than that
emitted by fluorescent lights. White OLEDs also have the true-color qualities of incandescent lighting.
Because OLEDs can be made in large sheets, they can replace fluorescent lights that are currently used in
homes and buildings. Their use could potentially reduce energy costs for lighting.

References:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/oled.htm
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics/osc/oleds.shtml
http://www.docslide.com/oled-organic-light-emitting-diode/#chitika_close_button
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/O/OLED.html
Mohammad Javad Sharifi & Farzad Ahmadi Gooraji, Journal of Organic Semiconductors Vol. 1,
Taylor & Francis, 2013
Various authors, Chemical Reviews Vol. 107 No. 4, Mines, 2007